OEschewing television, these days found in huge cinematic screens in many if not most homes in the UK and other nations ... plus places where humans gather when allowed, like pubs, cafes and so on, leaves those preferring books or silence bereft of constant chatter, audible and or visual, not to mention regular demands for licence fees from Capita on behalf of the wonderful BBC ... to justify their service to the Government, whether entertaining us with stories fictional or not, and the strangely hypnotic text rolling along from left to right (in Latin script), not often linked to the content on the screen, but repeating scary messages constantly ... which seems to work very successfully. And not only the BBC by the way, it's happening everywhere. Add the smart phones and you begin to see the scale of the deception. Please don't worry about the notion that these devices not only allow you to watch them but also vice versa. That way lies paranoia! Not the fact of it, but the worrying about it ...
Relating this to current concerns and plans to raise awareness in and around the Retreat House, be sure you'll find no TV and limited virtual reality. Any distracting pinging to confirm how popular or not we are or are not strictly discouraged, though internet is available as well as books for inspiration and education along with silence in groups plus exercise outside ... everything optional of course ... we might misquote Marx K and say: From each according to their experience and knowledge, to each according to their desires as far as they may be fulfilled by those attending! Or something like that, the main point being that in the group there is no hierarchy or gurus who know everything ... conversely inevitably attendees will have information to share with the others, since all are unique ... if HHDL or some other living ascended master pops by, then naturally exceptions will apply ... though it's safe to assume that won't happen any time soon!
In more mundane matters, this morning's walk was quiet ... only two interlocutors to detain me for a while ... one a known elder, happy to discuss various routes across the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, the other a recent arrival from Sri Lanka via London, running a shop with Post Office, delivering the lying newspapers plus booze, cigarettes and other essential items ... a young and friendly entrepreneur who subscribes to the idea that being friendly to the people usually helps the people to be friendly in return.
The Census form, legally requiring a response, arrives through the door. That way our Authorities can estimate how many, where, when and maybe even why. It seems likely paranoid types might resists answering, but that does not include your blogger. He may not trust the politicians or others, but he is not afraid of the Office of National Statistics. Statistics may be manipulated but at least we may all manipulate them to suit our story? It's soon done, submitted early.
Afternoon walk with neighbour's dog ... off lead epitomising Nature ... leads to an interesting encounter with a dogless couple, coincidentally long standing residents of Rookhope ... they run the Post Office and tiny shop ... he's Algerian speaking French and English, she's English speaking English only ... politics are discussed, including the Battle of Algiers when the French colonialists were asked to leave ... the evening rounded off with UK Column News, a serious opponent of Martial Law ... more politics, but Dao is never far away ... clearly the world crisis has a spiritual dimension and to this optimistic blogger the Universe is conspiring to bring, not Common Purpose but Higher Purpose into Reality ...
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